The Strategy of Religious Socialization in Iran

Focusing on the ‘strategy’ of socialization (Berger 1967; Pluss 2007) and based on the model developed by Michener et al. (1990), this paper examines the patterns and characteristics associated with religious socialization. The paper employs the socialization theory (Sapir 1929, Mead 1934, Whorf 1956, Evans and Davis 2000, Tylor 2003) in which educational system and school-textbooks play a key role in the socialization process of children. Using the conent analysis method, this paper also focuses on the school-textbooks of Iran in three educational levels: Primary, Intermediate, and High Schools. Generally speaking, the resuls of this analysis show that the these educational resources are substantially dominated by religion so that, for instance, such words as ‘God’ and ‘religion’ are markedly prevalent throughout the textbooks. This general pattern applies to both religious and other textbooks. However, comparative analysis illustrates that the religion of Islam and its characteristics such as the Holy Book (Quran) and the Prophet Mohammad have been respresented in these educational materials by far more overwhelmingly than other religions. Moreover, the results support the fact that the association between religion and gender portrayed in the textbooks vary significantly by the age of the audiance (that is, students): the higher the age, the stronger the effect of religion. Future studies can provide further evidence to assess the outcome and efficiency of such patterns of religious socialization highlighted in the present analysis.